Echinacea plant named ‘Echcher298’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Echcher298’, characterized by its upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; strong flowering stems; numerous large anemone-centered inflorescences with pale yellow green to white and light pink-colored florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Echinacea purpurea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ECHCHER298’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Echcher298’.

The new Echinacea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new freely flowering Echinacea plants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Echinacea plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2012 in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands of Echinacea purpurea ‘Meringue’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,537, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands in July, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea plant by in vitro meristem culture in a controlled environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands since December, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Echcher298’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Echcher298’ as a new and distinct Echinacea plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Strong flowering stems.     -   5. Numerous large anemone-centered inflorescences with pale         yellow green to white and light pink-colored florets.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Meringue’. Plants of the new Echinacea differ from plants of ‘Meringue’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea are taller than plants of         ‘Meringue’.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea flower later than plants of         ‘Meringue’.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea and ‘Meringue’ differ in floret         color as plants of ‘Meringue’ have yellow green-colored florets.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of Echinacea purpurea ‘Coconut Lime’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,617. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands, plants of the new Echinacea differed primarily from plants of ‘Coconut Lime’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were not as freely branching as         plants of ‘Coconut Lime’.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea had larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Coconut Lime’.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea and ‘Coconut Lime’ differed in         floret color as plants of ‘Coconut Lime’ had white and yellow         green-colored florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Echinacea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Echcher298’ grown in ground beds in an outdoor nursery and placed in a 21 cm container for the photograph.

The photographs on the second sheet are close-up views of a typical inflorescence (upper photograph) and the upper surface of a typical leaf (lower photograph) of ‘Echcher298’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typically used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 8° C. to 18° C. Plants were eight months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea ‘Echcher298’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Echinacea purpurea ‘Meringue’, disclosed in             U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,537.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By in vitro meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one week at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About five             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically pale cream in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright             plant habit, narrow inverted triangle; freely branching             habit with about five primary branches developing per plant;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 67.3 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 48.3 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 46.2 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 6.4 cm. Aspect: Erect to about             10° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely to             moderately pubescent, strigose; slightly rough. Color: Close             to 144A to 144B; stripes, close to 143B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Basal leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             16.7 cm. Width: About 4.6 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; slightly to moderately             undulate. Texture and luster, upper surface: Moderately             pubescent, rough; slightly glossy. Texture and luster, lower             surface: Moderately pubescent, rough; moderately glossy.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to 143A. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to 143B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close             to NN137D; venation, close to 144A. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 145B.         -   Petioles, basal leaves.—Length: About 9.3 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Height: About 3 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible.             Texture and luster, upper surface: Mostly glabrous except             for margins which are sparsely pubescent; slightly glossy.             Texture and luster, lower surface: Glabrous; matte. Color,             upper surface: Close to 144B, towards the margins, close to             143A. Color, lower surface: Close to 144A.         -   Cauline leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 11.7 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:             Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; slightly to             moderately undulate. Texture and luster, upper surface:             Moderately pubescent, rough; slightly glossy. Texture and             luster, lower surface: Moderately pubescent, rough;             moderately glossy. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:             Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A. Developing             leaves, lower surface: Close to 143B. Fully expanded leaves,             upper surface: Close to NN137D; venation, close to 144A.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B;             venation, close to 145B.         -   Petioles, cauline leaves.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter:             About 2 mm. Height: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible.             Texture and luster, upper surface: Mostly glabrous except             for margins which are sparsely pubescent; slightly glossy.             Texture and luster, lower surface: Glabrous; matte. Color,             upper surface: Close to 144B, towards the margins, close to             143A. Color, lower surface: Close to 144A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Large anemone-centered inflorescences with ray             and disc florets arranged on a capitulum; inflorescences             positioned upright above the foliar plane on mostly upright             and strong peduncles.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 30             inflorescences developing per plant during the flowering             season.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—In the garden, plants flower continuously             from early July to late September in The Netherlands.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about three weeks on the plant; inflorescences             persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About             2.4 cm. Shape: Flattened globular. Color: Involucral bracts,             close to between 144A and 146A; ray florets, close to 150B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 11.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 6.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 7 cm. Receptacle height:             About 1 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle             color: Close to NN155A.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 18 arranged in             a single whorl at the base of the receptacle. Length: About             5.3 cm. Width: About 8mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Cleft             to deeply praemorse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety. Texture,             lower surface: Glabrous; longitudinally ridged. Luster,             upper surface: Matte. Luster, lower surface: Slightly             glossy. Aspect: Horizontal to drooping, about 30° from             horizontal. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             between 150D and 155A. When opening, lower surface: Close to             150C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 62C to 62D;             color does not change with development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 150C flushed with close to 62C; color does             not change with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 300 per             inflorescence, spirally at the center. Length: About 2.7 cm.             Diameter: About 4 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Narrowly             acute to praemorse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety. Texture,             lower surface: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper surface:             Matte. Luster, lower surface: Slightly glossy. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Close to between 150D and 155A. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 150C. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 62C; color does not change with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 150C             flushed with close to 62C; color does not change with             development.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Shape:             Acicular. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Luster: Glossy. Color: Close to 143B; towards the             apex, close to 13A and at the apex, close to 33A.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 72             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate to narrowly ovate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface:             Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Moderately             pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 137B. Color, lower             surface: Close to 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 13.4 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to about 15° from             vertical. Texture: Sparsely to moderately pubescent,             strigose. Color: Close to 144A to 144B; stripes, close to             143B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed on ray or             disc florets. Gynoecium (present only on disc florets):             Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma             shape: Decurrent, unequal. Stigma color: Close to N186C and             darker than N186C. Style length: About 5.5 mm. Style color:             Close to 145B. Ovary color: Close to 144A. Seeds and fruits:             Seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants             of the new Echinacea. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have exhibited good     garden performance and to tolerate rain and wind. Plants of the new     Echinacea have been observed to tolerate high temperatures of about     35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 4. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Echcher298’ as illustrated and described. 